Press action medeor

“Two years after the flood disaster in the Ahr valley, many people are struggling with the psychological consequences of what they experienced during the flood and afterwards,” Markus Bremers, press spokesman for action medeor, explains. The trauma of the night of the floods, the loss of security, cramped temporary living situations, the exhausting reconstruction and lengthy bureaucratic application procedures have left their mark on people. “And the psychosocial consequences are often only now becoming apparent,” Bremers states. Together, action medeor and Pharmacists Without Borders have therefore converted the container facility in Kalenborn, creating new space for psychotherapeutic services. One therapist is already working there, and the other two will open their practices in Kalenborn in November.

Simon Hoffmann has been using the rooms there since September. He holds one of the new psychotherapeutic practices that have been approved for the Ahr Valley and reports growing problems: “Two years after the flood, many people are in a state of exhaustion. After months of just functioning, their mental and physical strength is exhausted,” Hoffmann explains. Depression, anxiety and addiction could be the consequences.

"It is therefore extremely important that there are sufficient psychotherapeutic services in the region," Simon Eickhoff confirms. The psychotherapist will also be practising in Kalenborn and reports long waiting times. "I know of colleagues who have waiting lists of around 380 people. And the lists aren't getting smaller, they're growing,” Eickhoff says.

Couples therapist Michael Bruckner, who will be the third member of the team to move into the rooms in Kalenborn, will take care of the special needs of couples who have survived the flood disaster together. "Many couples have mastered their lives together since the flood, and of course there were also points of friction. Talking about it clears their heads again and what they have overcome together can now fill them both with pride and confidence once more,” Bruckner says.

The three therapists help people in the Ahr Valley to overcome their flood experiences and the resulting problems. The rooms they use for this purpose were converted by action medeor and Pharmacists Without Borders with donations from flood relief. “The container facility was built back in 2021 and originally housed a doctor's surgery and a pharmacy,” Markus Bremers from action medeor reports. “Now that the practice and pharmacy have been able to move to other premises, we are using the space to help meet the high demand for psychotherapy services in the region,” Bremers explains. The premises in Kalenborn are intended as a temporary solution for an initial period of one year.

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